Fused test clamp-insulator.



e; WHEALE,

.FUSED TEST CLAMP INSULATOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN; 2? 9H.

1,144,672.- Pmmuunepsa, 1915;

UNITED STATES PATENT ornicn.

GEQBGE WHEALE, F MEADOWBROOK, PENNSYLVANIA.

' To all whom, it may concern;

Be it lmownthat I, GEORGE \VrInALE a citizen of the United States, reslchng at Childrens Village, Meadowbrook, in the county .of Montgomery and-State of Pennsylvania, hav e invented. certain. new and useful Improvements .in FusedTest Clamp- Insulators, of which the followlng 1s a spec1- fication.

)This invention relates to an improved means for connecting sections to a line wire with an insulator so that if excessive current passes through the wire the connection betweenthe two sections of the line wire may be brbken and thus the flow of current interrupted.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the insulator block' and wire engaging collars that the collars may be securely connected with the insulatorblock and prevented from"moving longitudinally thereon.

Another objectof the invention is to so construct the fuse strip that it may be easily 25,

renewed when burnt out.

Another object of the device is to allow the opening of sections of wire without cutting the wire.

Another object of the device is to allow the opening of sections of wire for testing I purposes between one station or exchange and another station or exchange.

Another ob]ect of the devlce is to provide a terminal for a wire entering a cable box and coming out again.

This invention is illustrated in the accom- 2 device in use;

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the Fig. 2 i s a transverse sectional view through-the device to show the manner of mounting the collars; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a view of the blank from which one of the collars'is formed.

The insulator block 10 may be formed of any suitable material but is preferably formed of glass or china. Annular ribs 11 and 12 are formed upon this block to provide seats 13 which are curved in'cross section as shown in Fig. 1. Collars 14 and 15 are mounted in the seats 13 formed by the ribs 11 and 12, each collar being formed 7 from a blank shown in Fig. 4. This blank 16 is formed of copper or some other suit- 56 able metal which will conduct electricity Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 29, 1915. Application lilcd zranuarifzv, 1914. Serial No. 814,713.

and is crescent shaped in cross section as shown in F ig..3 so that when the strip is bent around the insulator the collar will conform to the contour of the seat in which it is placed and thus be held tightly in place. Sectional bolt members 17 extend from the end portions of the strip 16, the bolt members being formed in two'sections so that the wires maypass through the bolt members and be clamped by these bolt. members when the winged nuts 18 are in place.

When this device is in use the collars are first placed about the insulator with the bolt at one end of each of the collars passing through one of the openings" 19. The wires 20 and 21 are then placed about the collars as shown in Fig. 2 and passed through the slots of the bolts. The winged nuts 18 can now be placed upon the outer bolts and tightened so that the wires will be tightly gripped and held in place. The fuse strip 22 is now placed upon the lower one of the inner bolts and is then swung upwardly so that its hooked end 23 will engage the upper. inner bolt. The winged nuts are now placed upon the inner bolts and are tightened so that the fuse strip will be held in tight engagement with the wires and collars.

. When the current flowing through the wires 20 and 21 is not above the desired amount it will pass through the fuse strip 22 without injuring the strip. If, however, the current is excessive the fuse strip 22 will be burnt through, thus breaking the circuit and prevent the current from passing from the wire 20 to the wire 21. This will prevent any danger of the machine which is being operated from being injured by the excessive current. When the fuse 22 is burnt through the operator can regulate the generator so that the current passing from the generator will be reduced to the desired amount and a new fuse strip can be easily put in place by removing the winged nuts which hold the strip in place and mounting a new strip. "2 a I have thus provided a device bymeans of which two sections of an electric line wire may be connected to permit current to pass from one section to the other which is so constructed that if the current increases beyond the predetermined amount the connection will be broken. It is of course obvious that the fuse strip 22 is formed of some mi readily than the collars 14 and 15 and therefore the collars will not be melted at the same time the stri is. What is claime is:

1. A device of the character describedcomprising an insulator block, collars carrie'd by said block in spaced relation, each i is of said collars being formed from a strip of electricity conducting material, the strip being bent aroundsaid block, means for securing the inner end portion of said strip to the intermediate portion thereof whereby the free end portion of said stri willex- {tend from said block, means carried by the free .end portion of each of said strips for engaging an'electric conductor, and a fuse 'ele ent removably connectedwith said colf2. A device of the character described 'comprislng' eniiisulator :blo'ck, collars car- 'ried by said block inspacedrelation, each of said collars beingformed from a strip of material bent aboutthe block, astem extending from the inner end portion of said strip and passed through an. opening formed a in-said stri' -interin'ediate its length, said stem beings otted longitudinally, a stem excopies ot lthi'l patent may iw obtained it:

tending from the outer end portion of said ducting wires to said collars-an releasabl'yholdingsaid fuse element upon said innerstems.

3'. A strip for releasably connecting a wire I with a support provlded with openings po-" sitioned at points intermediate the center and the ends of the strip, securing'means carried by the end ortions of said strip for permitting the str1 to. be secured about a support withthe' ree endportion of the strip extending in a selected direction from the-support, and means for releasably, holding a wire about the strip and in engagement with said secur' means.

In testimony. whereo vI aflix my signature in presence of-two witnesses" GEORGE WHEALE,

Witnesses: v

,W. H. LEADER, J. M. Lumen,

Washington; D. 0.

five cents eachrby addressing the Commissioner of Intent .v 

